TWO local charities have joined forces to raise £650,000 to create a new home for heart research on Teesside.

Hearts + Minds is a joint appeal by Our Hospitals Charity and South Cleveland Heart Fund that launched yesterday to bring first class cardiovascular research facilities to Teesside.

The charities are working together to help create a Cardiothoracic Research Facility at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Dr David Austin, consultant cardiologist at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “James Cook Hospital has been at the heart of cardiovascular care in Teesside for more than 25 years. Now we want to take this expertise and use it to inspire new research and breakthroughs in cardiac treatment and care.”

The Northern Echo: Ben Murphy, head of Our Hospitals Charity, Dr Adrian Davies, chairman of South Cleveland Heart Fund, Rebecca Maier, head of the Academic Cardiovascular Unit, Dr David Austin, consultant cardiologist and Professor Enoch Akowuah, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon (left to right)Ben Murphy, head of Our Hospitals Charity, Dr Adrian Davies, chairman of South Cleveland Heart Fund, Rebecca Maier, head of the Academic Cardiovascular Unit, Dr David Austin, consultant cardiologist and Professor Enoch Akowuah, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon (left to right)

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The money raised will enable existing space to be transformed into a cutting-edge facility and will include the creation of a dedicated clinical setting for patients in research trials as well as a reception, patient waiting area, new office space and a meeting room.

The Cardiothoracic Research Facility would be a focal point for heart research and could help countless people around the world.

The facility will be used by the trust’s Academic Cardiovascular Unit, which will focus on research that improves treatment of heart attacks, develops exercise programmes in patients with heart problems, improves cardiac surgery and makes better use of data and digital technology in research.

It will enable the trust to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence in heart research as well as leading the way across the North East region.

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